Bob 103, alias "Old Faithful" has lived longer than any of the control group. Bob 103 has benaGene added to his diet.

Life Extension

In a pilot test, C57BL/6 male mice were started on a benaGene supplemented diet starting at age 9 months (approximately 1/3 through their lifespan). Male mice were used as they typically have a shorter lifespan than females. At the 50% mortality mark, benaGene supplementation increased lifespan by 23% as compared to the control group. The increase in "residual lifespan" (from the date benaGene was added to the diet) was 39%. The increase in maximal lifespan over the oldest living member of the control group was 14%.

In addition to an increase in Lifespan, the benaGene supplemented mice also showed an increase in health span with decreased inflammation, reduced curvature of the spine, and less graying of the fur.

Larger scale tests are in progress with the US National Institute of Aging (NIA) through the "Interventions in Aging" program.

Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flys) have a 20% increase in lifespan when benaGene is added to their food. In some tests, there was an increase in maximal lifespan, in other tests there was no increase. The increase in lifespan is more striking when the flys are placed under stress, in some cases increasing lifespan over control groups (under similar stress) by more than 100%.